Automatic sampler



R. M. WATERS AUTOMATIC SAMPLER Feb.l 1o, 1942.

Filed Jan. l0, 1939 BY {lw- /Zw v ATTORNEY.

Patented Feb. 1o, 1942 AUTOMATIC SAMPLER Russell M. Waters, Bakersfield, Calif., assignor to Merco Nordstrom Valve Company, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Delaware ApplicationqJanuary 10, 1939, Serial No. 250,171

11 Claims.

f The present invention relates to apparatus for automatically obtaining a sample from a flowing stream, and is of particular value in the transportation of crude petroleum from the wells.

It is an object of the invention to provide an automatic sampler wherein separation of constituents of the uid to be sampled is avoided so that the removed sample isv truly representative of the fluid passing through the conduit.

A further object of the invention is to provide anapparatus which will take a small sample of fluid truly representative thereof at intervals of time.,` t

A further object isv the provision of an automatic sampler in which the sample removed from the flowing stream is proportional to the quantity flowing in the conduit from which the sample is taken. y g

A further object is the provision of an apparatus which will automatically remove a truly representative sample from a flowing stream and wherein the quantity so removed may be adjusted or predetermined. l

Still another object is the provision of an automatic sampler which is of simple construction and is easy to repair and maintain in working order. i

According to the present invention I provide in a conduit carrying a moving stream of fluid, a device which is operated by the stream generally in proportion to the quantity flowing therein,

and which intermittently operates a valve mechaf nism' which is adjusted to permit escape from the conduit of a relatively small sample of the owing fluid. Preferably, the conduit carrying the fluid to be sampled is vertical and the point of escape of the sample of fluid therefrom is substantially at the center of the flow so that the sample taken will be truly representative of the fluid in the conduit, The valve through which the sample is taken preferably is' operated with a snap action. and the duration of opening may be easiy adjusted so that a relatively minute sample is removed in proportion to the quantity flowing in the conduit` past the valve. y

The invention will be described in greater detail in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein there is disclosed a preferred modi- 55 being interposed to prevent leakage.

casing I having end flanges 2 and 3 wherebythe casing may be interposed in a pipe line, and the bore 4 is adapted to form a continuationof the pipeline, the casing preferably being interposed in the pipe line in vertical position. Inside the casing I a shoulder 5 is provided to whicha motive power unit of known construction for operating the sampler is secured. The preferred motive power unit comprises a flanged tube or working l chamber 6 having a cylindrical liner 'I therein.

,and connected to a anged gear case support 8 y by three screws 9, the assembly being secured to the shoulder 5 by three screws III. Radial spokes I I integral with the tube 6 support a hub I2 in l which is suitably journaled one end of the rotor reduction gears, rand"which are driven by rotor sh'aft I3 through a "suitable coupling member 20, and a shaft 23 on the OppQsite side of the gear case driven by the reduction gearing carries a cam g 24 of generallyfinvolute form having a high edge 25 and secured thereto by nut 2'6.

Below the gear case the casing I has a threaded bore 3l therein which receives an externally threaded hollow bearing member 32 lhaving a flange 33/engaging the machined surface 34 of 35 the casing. A rocker shaft 35 extends through the Vbore in bearing member 32 and has'journals 36 and bearing 31 in the hollow bushing. Arocker arm 38 is rigidly secured to the inner end of shaft 35 to oscillate therewith, and the outer end 4I) of shaft 35 is bifurcated to receive a rocker spring lever 39 which may be held in place` by a cotter pin 48 passing through a transversel hole in the -shaft and spring lever. The opposite end of spring lever 331s bored to receive a bolt 4I having a transverse pivot -pin 42 therein -which rests .against the upper surface of spring lever 39. An L-shaped abutment 43 is secured to the casingv end of a spring 44 on bolt 4I engages the abutment 43. The lower end of spring 44 engages a washer 45 on bolt 4I which is held in position thereon by lock nuts 46. A cover 4l encloses the rocker shaft spring assembly and is held in fluid tight relation by bolts 48, a suitable gasket 49 It will be j, apparent that spring 44 biases shaft 35 clockwise as viewed' in Figure 3, and thus holds the upper end of arm 38 against cam 24.

Rocker arm 38 carries a trigger mechanism to comprising a bifurcated trigger piece 5I which byvscrews or other suitable means, and the upper through the bifurcated end, of the' trigger piece and a trigger spring 58 has one end secured to said pin and the other end passes through a hole 58 in the ro er arm` 88, and thus biases the trigger piece c terclockwise, as viewed in Figure 1. The end 59 of the trigger piece has a valve en,

` which extends through the cap Ill. AsamgagingA shoulder 8l anda release portion 82 fora purpose presently to be described.

The casing basa threaded hole 89 which receives the reduced threaded portion of a sampling tube 84. and a gasket 88 engaged by a shoulder 81 formed by an enlarged portion of the tube prevents leakage between the sampling tube and casing. The bore 88 in the sampling tube tapers to an orifice 89 at the inner end thereof and the exterior of the tube is tapered at 1|l to form a nozzle. The orifice 89 of the sampling tube preferably is located at the center of the passage 4 so that a sample removed therefrom will be truly representative of the material passing through the casing. Diametrically opposite the sampler tube l84 the casing is bored and threaded at 13 to lreceive a hollow threaded bushing 15 held in position by a jamb nut 18. The bushing 15 may be adjusted axially and leakage around the threaded bushing 15 is prevented by an annular plastic packing 11 located in an annular recess 18 which is compressed 'therein by a suitable packing screw 19 passing through a radial threaded bore 8| communicating with the packing chamber 18: A The bushing 15 has a bore 82 adapted to receive a piston 83 Acarrying a valve seat insertv 84 at its inner end vadapted to engage the nozzle 1| of the sampler tube 84 and close the orice 69 therein. The piston 83 is relieved at 88 to provide an equalizlng chamber communicating by radial bores 81 with the interior of the casing, and bores 88 connect the bore sz behind the piston sa with the interior of the casing The valve piston has an extension 89 with a flange 9| thereon received in the bore 8| which lserves as one abutment for a spring 92,

the other end of spring 92 abutting an adjust# ment screw 94 threaded into the outer end of bore 82. Screw 94 has a kerf thereinwhereby it may be turned with a screwdriver. Centering projections 98 and 91 are provided to maintain the spring in proper alignment. The outer end vof bore 8| is closed by a threaded pipe plug 98.

The valve piston 83 has a, shoulder 99 adapted to be engaged by the valve engaging shoulder 8| of the trigger piece, whereby the valve is moved away from the sampler tube, and the inner end of bushing 15 is tapered as indicate at |8| to provide a release cam which co-operates with the release portion 82 of the trigger member to limit the opening of the valve. \The sampling tube 84 has a reducedportion |83 at its outer end forming a vshoulder |94, and a receiving member |05 has a bore |98 which receives the reduced portion |03 and is counter-bored at |01 to provide a sealing shoulder |08, a gasket being ple receiving jar ||4 may be secured in any suitable manner to the cap H9. as shown, the jar being secured by a b'all I5. To prevent development of too high a pressure in the sample receiving jar I|4. a safety valve ||1 is provided comprising a threaded bushing ||8 received in a threaded bore H9. The bushing terminates in an enlarged internally threaded cylindrical portion |2| which receives an inverted cup shaped member |22 having a releasevvalve |28 therein. Release orifices |28 are provided communicating with the interior of cap |22.

The release valve |23 comprises a piston providing a valve surface whichco-operates with thel seat |28 in the bushing ||8, and aspring |21 in the cup |22 abuts against the valve to hold it against the seat. The seating pressure of spring Y ening vanes I8 enters the working chamber and causes the rotor I4 to rotate in known manner. The rotary motion of rotor |4 and shaft I3 is transmitted through the reduction 'gearing'in gearcase |9 and causes rotation of the involute cani 24 on the driven shaft 23. Assuming the cam to be in position with the high edge 28 of the cam in contact with the rocker arm 38, the trigger mechanism 5| will be in the position shown in Figure 1 with the valve engaging shoulder 8| against the shoulder 99 on the valve. Upon further rotation of the cam 24 by the rotor I4 the rocker arm 28 will reach the radial portion of the cam and will be released suddenly, thus allowing the rocker spring 44 to rotate rocker arm 38 clockwise as viewed n'Figure 1 and move the valve seat 84 away from the sampler tube orice 89, and as this movement is continued the released portion 82 of the trigger engages the tapered release cam l0 thus releasingthe shoulders 8| and 99, whereupon spring 92 returns the valve to close the orifice 89. During the interval that the orifice 89 is open, the pressure of the uid in the casing forces a small quantity of the flowing liquid through the orlce 89 and bore 88 which passes through the cross bore ||2 from the sampler tube intoJ the sampler passage III and into the receiving Jar ||4. In the meantime the cam 24 continues to revolve and slowly moves A theupper end of rocker arm 88 to the left to cause the arm to rotate counterclockwise about the rocker shaft 35 and the trigger mechanism is -gradually brought to the right until the valve engaging shoulder 8| again engages the shoulder 99 of the valve piston. By this time the upper end of rocker arm 38 is at the high point of cam 24 and upon further rotation of cam 24 the operation previously described for opening the valve l is repeated. It will be observed that the orifice 89 of the sampler tube is substantially at the center of the casing This location has the advantage that a more truly representative sample of the fluid is obtained and separation of the conlstituents of the fluid by change in direction of flow is reduced to a minimum. The degree of opening of valve member 84 may be adjusted by thethreaded bushing 15. Turning the bushing inwardly provides a smaller duration of opening for the valve thanwhen the` bushing is adjusted outwardly. IIhe plastic packing around the threads of the bushing provides an adequate a bushing adjustably threaded into said conduit,

seal which enables this adjustment to be made.- The speed with which the valve member 811 is moved also may be determined by adjustment of the pressure on spring4 92. Safety valve Il'l preferably is set to maintain closed against the pressure in the casing l. However, crude petroleum contains dissolved gases and when the sample in the jar II4 is subjected to changes in atmospheric temperature such as are normally encountered in the oil elds, the -pressure in the jar may become too high. Under such conditions the safety valve |23 ,opens to permit the escape of excess pressure.

Having described my invention, what I desire to claim and secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An automatic sampler comprising a conduit carrying a moving stream of uid, means in said conduit operated; by the iiow of iiuid therethrough, a tube extending into the flowing stream in said conduit, said tube having a passageway therethrough terminating in an orifice,

a-vaive in said conduit for normally closing said orifice, and .snap action means operated by said rst mentioned means for operating said valve member with a snap action.

2. A sampler mechanism comprising a conduit for carrying a stream of fluid, means in said conduitv operated by the iow of uid therethrough, means projecting through said fluid substantially to the center of the owing stream, said latter means having an orifice therein whereby a sample may be removed, and a valve in said conduit operated by said iirstmentioned means for opening and closing said orifice.

3. A sampler mechanism comprising a conduit for carrying a stream of'iiuid, means in said conduit operated by the iiow of fluid therethrough, means projecting through said uid substantially to the center of the flowing stream, said means having an orifice therein whereby a sample may be removed, a valve for normally closing said orifice, snap action means operated by said rst mentioned means for operating said valve, and means for adjusting duration of the open position of said valve.

4. An automatic sampler comprising a conduit,

means operated generally in proportion to the ow of iiuid through a conduit, said conduit having a passageway therethrough terminating in an orfice, a valve member adapted to close said orii'lce and having a shoulder thereon, a rocker arm, a trigger member carried by said rocker arm and having va portion adapted to engage said shoulder, a release cam positioned in the pathof said trigger, and means operated by saidvflrst mentioned means for oscillating said rocker arm.

5. An automatic sampler comprising a conduit, means operated generally in proportion to the iiow oi iiuid through a conduit, said conduit having a passageway therethrough terminating in an orifice, l,a valve member adapted to close saidv orifice and having a shoulder thereon, a

6. An automatic sampler comprising a conduit,

means for locking said bushing in position, a bore in said bushing, a' valve member including a stem operating in said bore, adjustable spring means urging said valve in one direction, means having an orificev therein co-operating with said valve for removing a sample of uid from the conduit, means adapted to be operated generally in proportion to the flow of iiuid through said conduit, trigger means operated by said last named means to open said valve, and means on said trigger means adapted to engage said bushing for releasing said valve.

- 7.An automatic sampler comprising a conduit, means operated generally in proportion to the flow. of fluid through said conduit, a rocker arm shaft extending into said conduit, a rocker arm secured thereto, spring means biasing said pendent of the rocker arm for closing said valve.

8. An automatic sampler comprising a conduit adapted to carry aV moving stream of fluid, rotary means in said conduit operated by the flow of iiuid therethrough,'a valve oriiice provided in said conduit removed from the area of turbulence caused by said rotary means whereby a sample of iiuid may be removed from said conduit, a valve in said conduit for normally closing said oriiice, and snap action means operated by said rotary means for operating said valve member with a snap action.

9, An automatic sampler comprising a conduit for the iiow of iiuid, a receiver, an orifice provided for the escape of a sample quantityof fluid from the conduit to said receiver, a valve member for closing said orifice, snap action means for ,operating said valve, means adapted to be operated by the flow of uid in said conduit to operate said snap action means, and means for adsite sides of said piston, spring means urgingv said valve in one direction, means having an orice therein co-operating with said valve forv removing a sample .of fluid from said conduit, and means for periodically operating said valve with a snap action.

11. An automatic sampler comprising a conduit, a guide bushing in said conduit having a bore therein closed at its outer end, a valve member having a piston operating in said bore, spring lmeans urging said valve in one direction, means having an orifice therein co-operating with said valve for removing a sample of fluid from said conduit, means for periodically opening said valve, release means on said bushing to release said opening means to allow snap closing of the Y valve, and means to adjust said release means 'to determine the quantity of sample removed. RUSSELL M. WATERS. 

